A TEENAGER was stabbed in an early morning attack in Huddersfield town centre.

The 19-year-old is in a serious but stable condition following the incident at 3.50am yesterday morning.

The attack took place on Cross Church Street – an area already identified by police as a flashpoint for violence and antisocial behaviour.

The scene was cordoned off early yesterday morning while forensics teams scoured the area looking for evidence.

Police have given out little information so far.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “At 3.50am on Monday a man was in Cross Church Street when he was assaulted.

“He sustained a stab wound to the torso and is currently in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

“Inquiries are ongoing into the matter by the division.

“We are appealing for anyone who has any information about the incident, or who may have witnessed it to come forward.”

No arrests have been made in connection with the attack as yet.

The police cordon set up during the early hours of the investigation originally covered access to the Kingsgate Centre.

Customer services manager Alison Darby said: “The cordon was lifted at around 9am so staff could access the centre.

“We were not opening fully until 10am so access for the public wasn’t a problem.”

The street has been at the centre of concerns about increasing levels of violence and is a drain on police resources as revellers pour out of pubs in the direction of takeaways.

Police revealed concerns in October last year, narrowly winning their fight to block a licensing application for a new hot food outlet on the street that month.

The area had seven takeaways and Sgt John McFadzean from Huddersfield South Neighbourhood Policing Team told councillors the street had reached “saturation point” and was putting undue pressure on his team.

Describing the area as a “magnet” for problems he revealed the street accounted for 19% of violent crime in Huddersfield town centre.

The committee also heard that while crime had dropped by a third in the town centre overall and by 45% on nearby King Street, it had gone up by 16% on Cross Church Street.

Anyone who witnessed the stabbing or who has information should phone West Yorkshire Police on 0845 6060606 and ask for Huddersfield CID.